... of the region to ERA and Innovation Union. This study provides a comprehensive map of all state structures, adopted national strategies, legislation and budget dedicated to the areas of research and education, offering a clear view of current situation in all Western Balkan regions in general, focusing on Albania and Kosovo, including Serbia’s positive experiences. In addition, through a regional angle it tackles the factors that hinder the absorption of EU funds in education and research. Being a first of its kind, by comparing the WB countries current situation through qualitative and quantitative data gathered and analysed, the study serves ...

... of the region to ERA and Innovation Union. This study provides a comprehensive map of all state structures, adopted national strategies, legislation and budget dedicated to the areas of research and education, offering a clear view of current situation in all Western Balkan regions in general, focusing on Albania and Kosovo, including Serbia’s positive experiences. In addition, through a regional angle it tackles the factors that hinder the absorption of EU funds in education and research. Being a first of its kind, by comparing the WB countries current situation through qualitative and quantitative data gathered and analysed, the study serves ...

Find below all issues of 2018 newsletters.
WBC-RTI.INFohas prepared several newsletter issues in 2018. Thematic articles were drafted while relevant stakeholders contacted and in some cases also interviewed.

... departure from the EU, it still maintains its presence and doubles its support to reforms in the Western Balkan, and Poland, as the next country holding the EU Presidency, will focus itself on conflict resolution and connectivity boosting. economic cooperation, security and youth cooperation among FYR of Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, Kosovo, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. For more details. please visit the source page A presentation of the policy paper “2018 Western Balkans Summit: 3 key takeaways from London”, authored by Zoran Nechev and Ivan Nikolovski from the Institute of Democracy “Societas Civilis” – Skopje (IDSCS), Jelena Minić form European Movement of ...

... moderated by Shada Islam, Director for Europe & Geopolitics at Friends of Europe, together with Bregu featured also Radosav Babic, Director-General for Investments, SME Development and EU Funds Management at the Ministry of Economy ofMontenegro, Tanja Fajon, Member of the European Parliament Delegation for relations with Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kosovo* and Trustee of Friends of Europe, and Linda Van Gelder, Regional Director for the Balkans at the World Bank. The panel also tackled major challenges and opportunities linked to key connectivity projects in the Western Balkans; identification of priority economic reforms that are still needed in the Western Balkans ...

... Call for applications to the EU Scheme for Young Professionals in the Western Balkans – Round II (YPS 2018), the action implementing two training programmes in EU academic institutions and a regional exchange component for early career civil servants from the six countries of the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia & Hercegovina, Kosovo*, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia). Applications were open until 13th September 2018 ...

... nbsp;in preparation of the ESOF2020 (Euro Science Open Forum) conference in Trieste, Italy, to support quality science journalism in the region. NATIONALITIES INVITED TO APPLY FOR A GRANT COVERING ALSO TRAVEL AND ACCOMODATION: Albania Armenia Bosnia and Herzegovina Georgia The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia Kosovo * Moldova Montenegro Serbia Turkey Ukraine * This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence. Journalists from other countries can attend the workshop at no cost, upon registration (depending on the available places ...

... PRESS RELEASE NO: 2019/ECA/31 " Growth for the Western Balkan region is estimated to strengthen to 3.5 percent for 2018, according to the latest Western Balkans Regular Economic Report, Higher but Fragile Growth. Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, FYR Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia are estimated to grow at rates between 2.5 percent and 4 percent. While employment also rose in five of the six countries in the region, the 91,400 new jobs created between July 2017 and July 2018 were significantly fewer than the 214,000 ...

... by Slow Food in 2010 to give a voice to small-scale food producers and rural communities, and to support them in upgrading their production from homemade to artisan, advocating for their social and political recognition, and supporting their access to markets. 100 participants (from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Macedonia, Romania, and Serbia) at the fifth edition of Terra Madre Balkans (21-23 May 2018) share the opinion that the integration of the Western Balkan countries into the EU is a major political goal that will ensure stability and development in the region. The conference built on the human ...

... of a sustainable market economy, looking to see whether they are competitive, well-governed, green, inclusive, resilient and integrated. Read the whole article here The countries are among those that improved their 2018 scores in the area of green transition compared to 2017, while the scores of Albania, FYR of Macedonia, Kosovo* and Montenegro, remained unchanged, according to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development’s (EBRD) Transition Report 2018-19 and article by Balkan Green Energy News &nbsp ...

... Growth in the Western Balkans has strengthened to an estimated 3.5%. In most of the region, growth projections for 2018 have been revised upward. Kosovo and Albania are expected to grow at 4% this year. At 3.8%, Montenegro’s growth is projected to be 1 percentage point higher, although still lower than last year. Growth in Bosnia and Herzegovina continues to be stable at an estimated 3.2%. Serbia’s economy has rebounded to ...

... The conflicts over the break-up of the former Yugoslavia damaged much of the energy infrastructure and compounded the challenge of providing reliable energy supply. The Western Balkans – composed of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Kosovo – is a complex region facing significant energy challenges. The conflicts over the break-up of the former Yugoslavia damaged much of the energy infrastructure and compounded the challenge of providing reliable energy supply. Electricity systems in many parts of the region remain fragile and in need of investment. Energy in ...

... potential to benefit from the greater use of renewable energy and energy efficiency measures by providing a combination of financing instruments, technical assistance and policy support to create a sustainable market for energy efficiency in the Western Balkans. The countries targeted are Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, FYR of Macedonia, Kosovo, Montenegro, and Serbia. ___ In June 2012, the Steering Committee of the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF) approved a €23.35 million grant to the EBRD to establish the Regional Energy Efficiency Programme for the Western Balkans. The WBIF is a joint initiative of the European Commission together with ...

This is a result of the S2Biom Fp7 funded project (D 8.3a) under responsibility of the Imperial College London (Calliope Panoutsou et.al.,). Albania Bosnia & Herzegovina FYR of Macedonia Kosovo Montenegro Serbia ___ S2Biom project has been supported by the European Commission under the 7th Framework Programme and have been running from September, 2013 until November, 2016. The research work in the S2Biom project covered the whole biomass delivery chain - from primary biomass to end-use of non-food products, and from ...

... strategic developments at the national level; Serbia is in the final stage of the process of preparation of their first RI Roadmap to be completed this year; The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia has formed a national working groups to start the development of national RI Roadmap; while Albania, Kosovo* and Bosnia and Herzegovina have initiated discussions on how to start the RIs mapping process. The Workshop was organised to support the implementation of the Multi-annual Action Plan on a Regional Economic Area in the Western Balkans (MAP REA) prepared by the RCC and endorsed by the leaders ...

... economy. Kurz praised the European perspective of Montenegro as well as Serbia, estimating that it looks “better than ever”. A number of panel discussions took place at the conference. The participants of the panel “Economic and European perspective for the Balkans” were Prime Ministers of the Western Balkans countries: Montenegro, Kosovo, Macedonia and Serbia. They expressed great interest in enhancing European and regional economic cooperation and harmonization of market regulations. Source The two-day annual economic conference was entitled “Balkan and European union — a five-year cycle of the Berlin Process” and was held in Budva, on 25 and 26 ...

... need to deepen the research part of the universities and to enhance the cooperation among main stakeholders in order to establish closer relations between the higher education sector, the labour market and industry. Mr. Bytyqi said that MEST is willing to cooperate on whichever part, so that educational institutions in Kosovo have the opportunity to secure their own income by becoming entrepreneurs. His Excellency, Ambassador Gernot Pfandler said that the HERAS project is among the largest projects in the field of education in Kosovo and he personally appreciates the work done by the consortium and the project team. He stated that ...

... Affairs of Japan and the Regional Youth Cooperation Office are implementing the youth exchange “Western Balkans meet Japan: A Bridge into the Future”, on 30 October to 7 November 2018, and invites 17 undergraduate or graduate students aged from 20 to 30 years old, coming from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia, to apply for a great opportunity of personal and professional growth. Introduction The program aims to deepen participants’ understanding of Japan and its policy, to increase knowledge and promote mutual understanding through intellectual and cultural exchange, and build a basis for future friendship and cooperation between ...

The Berlin Process (Western Balkans Summit) has kept enlargement on the EU agenda and the interest for the EU in the Western Balkans. This Process bridged a political (and even technical) standstill in the enlargement process, which started in 2014 and ended in 2018. It served as an inspiration and provided substance to the new incentive offered by the European Commission to the Western Balkan countries in February 2018 - ‘A credible enlargement perspective for and enhanced EU engagement with ...

... The Fellowship Programme will provide 20 scholarships for civil servants from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia. The Fellows will spend three months in the countries of the European Union, where they will gain work practice in the federal or state government agencies of the host countries, receive tailor-made training through specifically designed seminars and experience national/international and intercultural exchange. The programme ...

... nbsp;gordana.ristic@fpn.bg.ac.rs. Tuition Fees UNIVERSITY OF GRAZ Tuition fees are waived for Austrian/EU students. Tuition costs approximately €745 per semester for citizens of other states but can usually be fully refunded upon successful completion of each semester for citizens of Albania, Belarus Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, Turkey, and Ukraine. For enquiries about the admission procedure, tuition fees and refund process at the University of Graz please contact Ulrike Krawagna, ulrike.krawagna@uni-graz.atat the Office for International Relations. Please note that the University of Graz does not provide financial support ...

... Statement. Please find below attached more information. The deadline for applying is September 6th. In the frameworks of its Enlargement & Integration Initiative, the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission is offering pre-paid travel and accommodation to researchers/experts from Albania, Bosnia and Hercegovina, FYROM, Montenegro, Serbia, Kosovo*, Turkey, Armenia, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine to participate in the 7th Annual Forum of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region, taking place on 18-19 October 2018 in Sofia/Bulgaria ...

... innovation landscape? Innovation policy has gained prominence in the Western Balkans in the last two years. Serbia and Montenegro have established holistic innovation strategies, with Serbia establishing a ministerial-level council to co-ordinate innovation policy in Serbia, while the innovation fund of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia has started operation. Kosovo* has taken steps towards drafting an innovation law. The first venture capital fund in the region – South Central Ventures, established under the Enterprise Innovation Fund – has realised its first eight portfolio investments in the region. Incubator infrastructure has expanded to all six Western Balkan economies. Serbia and Montenegro have ...

... also to increase cooperation among countries in South Eastern Europe. “Brain circulation” is essential both for integration as well as for strengthening excellence in the region. Ministerial Meeting During the Ministerial Meeting, Carlos Moedas, European Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation, expressed the political will to keep WBs including Kosovo* associated to Horizon Europe. Further, he acknowledged the visible momentum in R&I policy development in the Western Balkans. All the WB Science Ministers gave updates on their policy efforts to promote research and innovation and expressed their support for regional research initiatives and Centres of Excellence. Ministers welcomed ...

... Gligorov, GfK Expert Consultant, and Researcher at the Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies presented the key findings of attitudes, experiences, aspirations, perceptions, and expectations across the Western Balkan economies. A part of the RCC’s BB 2018 launch is a panel discussion including Valdrin Lluka, Minister of Economy Kosovo*; Hamdo Tinjak, Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of Bosnia and Herzegovina; Dusan Reljic, Head of ‘Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik’ at German Institute for International and Security Affairs; and Mario Holzner, Institute Deputy Director and Staff Economist at the Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies. The ...

... reports, providing valuable information on the reform efforts undertaken in both areas. The input provided shows the progress in the implementation of these reforms and helps the European Commission coordinate its EU assistance, so that these efforts are properly supported. Progress reports** on higher education reform: Albania Bosnia and Herzegovina Kosovo* Montenegro Serbia The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia Progress reports** on teacher training: Albania Bosnia and Herzegovina Kosovo* Montenegro Serbia The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia **The reports published above are not prepared by the European Commission. For pictures and all official information please refer to this website. The seventh ...

The present study has been conducted under the European Commission’s initiative «Support to the Higher Education Reform Experts» (SPHERE) by a small team of experts. It discusses the research capacity of higher education institutions in the Western Balkans (WB). Provisional results of the study were presented at the 6th Ministerial Meeting of the “Western Balkans Steering Platforms on Education & Training & Research and Innovation”, 28-29 September 2017 in Belgrade. The study provides ...

... a digital economy and bring the benefits of the digital transformation, such as faster economic growth, more jobs, and better services. Read below the official press release IP/18/4242: The Digital Agenda for Western Balkans: The Commission together with Ministers from six Western Balkan partners - Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Serbia – commit to: Investing in broadband connectivity: Good digital infrastructure is essential for the roll-out of broadband in the Western Balkans. Under the Western Balkan Investment Framework (WBIF), €30 million in EU grants will be made available to deploy broadband infrastructure in ...

... ever on greater economic competitiveness. To underpin the drive to improve competitiveness and foster private investment, an integrated policy approach is needed. This first edition of Competitiveness in South East Europe: A Policy Outlook seeks to help policy makers in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo, and Serbia assess their progress towards their growth goals and benchmark them against the good practices adopted by OECD countries and the performance of their regional peers. This report addresses 15 policy dimensions critical to competitive economies that draw on the South East Europe 2020 Strategy (SEE 2020), a regional ...

A recent leaflet providing an overview of Western Balkans' performances in Horizon 2020 so far. Data provided cover MSC actions, ERC grants, projects, funding, some success stories, etc. As Accession Countries, the Western Balkans will be further integrated into the European Research Area.

... to support the transformation of the Western Balkans Factsheet - The way forward Factsheet - Economic relations – Investing in people, infrastructures and reforms Factsheet: EU Engagement in the Western Balkans Video stockshots – Western Balkans Factograph – Montenegro Factograph – Serbia Factograph – The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia Factograph - Albania Factograph – Bosnia and Herzegovina Factograph – Kosovo Today's summit between the leaders of the European Union and the Western Balkans partners in Sofia confirmed the European perspective of the region and set out a number of concrete actions to strengthen cooperation in the areas of connectivity, security and the rule of law ...

... institutions and businesses. At the event other representatives contributed to the discussions with Statements on Opportunities and Challenges in the Region: Besa Shahini, Vice-Minister of Education, Sports and Youth, Albania; Sanja Damjanović, Miniser of Science of Montenegro, Arber Geci, Deputy Minister of Education, Science and Technology of Kosovo*, etc. (Find the playlist with all videos from the conference here). Recently, the report “Supporting an Innovation Agenda for the Western Balkans - Tools and Methodologies” was made available by the Joint Research Centre - Directorate for Growth and Innovation and is part of the JRC series of Science and Policy ...

... held in Gorizia (Italy), and the 2017 edition held in Krems (Austria). More than 110 PhD students and Post-docs from 12 countries participated in the previous editions. Participants came from the following EU and non-EU Countries: Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Kosovo. The Danube:Future Interdisciplinary School is part of the Capacity Building Module of the Danube:Future project, a Flagship Project of the EUSDR - the European Union Strategy for the Danube Region, in the Priority Area ‘Knowledge Society’. Danube:Future is a joint network project of the Danube Rector’s Conference ...

... Europe. Participants are likely to include: research and innovation policy makers, representatives of academia and technology transfer offices, chambers of commerce, entrepreneurs, and early stage and venture capital investors including business angels. The number of attendees is estimated at around 100-120, and selected participants from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo*, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, Ukraine, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Turkey may be eligible for reimbursement of their travel and accommodation expenses. Apply to participate Attendance to the event is by invitation only. If you wish to participate you are encouraged to submit an expression of interest (deadline ...

... Europe. Participants are likely to include: research and innovation policy makers, representatives of academia and technology transfer offices, chambers of commerce, entrepreneurs, and early stage and venture capital investors including business angels. The number of attendees is estimated at around 100-120, and selected participants from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo*, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, Ukraine, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Turkey may be eligible for reimbursement of their travel and accommodation expenses. Apply to participate Attendance to the event is by invitation only. If you wish to participate you are encouraged to submit an expression of interest (deadline ...

... Education, Sports and Youth, Albania Sanja Damjanović, Minister of Science of Montenegro Jasna Šafhauzer, Counsellor, Embassy of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the Republic of Bulgaria Marjan Gjorchev, Ambassador, Embassy of Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to the Republic of Bulgaria Arber Geci, Deputy Minister of Education, Science and Technology of Kosovo* Parallel Sessions followed about: Increasing Transnational Cooperation for Innovation Investments, How to Commercialise Innovations, Digital Transformation, Leveraging R&I in Less Developed and Industrial Transition Regions, Harnessing Synergies between EU Policies and Instruments for Financing. Before the Closing remarks, the multiple initiatives already existing in South-East Europe ...

... EU comparator countries. Together with the report also the following country flyers were prepared. They present a short description of recent trends and feature key labor market indicators based on the harmonized data prepared in the context of the SEE Jobs Gateway. Albania.pdf BiH.pdf FYR Macedonia.pdf Kosovo*.pdf Montenegro.pdf Serbia.pdf Regional - Western Balkans.pdf The report and SEE Jobs Gateway are co-financed by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Finance and the World Bank. Please follow the SEE Jobs Gateway link for other publications. The report and the flyers present a short description of recent ...

... research and policy support needs for innovation in South-East Europe. The questionnaire entitled „Assessing research and policy support needs for innovation in the South East Europe“ was distributed to 360 participants in Croatia as well as the other six selected South East European countries (SEE): Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo*, Montenegro and Serbia. The objective of the survey was two-fold: to get the views of the stakeholders on current R&D and innovation policies, and to understand research and policy support needs of innovation stakeholders. These are the key findings based on SmartEIZ Questionnaire report: • &nbsp ...

... tourism, and energy. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the upcoming preparation of a draft smart specialisation strategy will follow the four broad priorities of information and communication technology, food production, energy, and creative industries, while the Republic of Srpska is already in the process of adopting a smart specialisation strategy. In Kosovo, several relevant strategies exist that can be integrated in the future process of smart specialisation which should integrate the pre-existing sectoral strategies into an overarching strategic document. The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia will draft a smart specialisation strategy in 2019. Montenegro is currently embarking upon the Entrepreneurial Discovery Process ...

... the SAA. Kosovo continued its efforts to maintain good and constructive bilateral relations with other enlargement countries. Kosovo is represented in most regional organisationsthat fall within the scope of the Arrangements on Regional Representation and Cooperation agreed between Belgrade and Pristina in 2012. Regarding the normalisation of relations with Serbia, Kosovo has remained engaged in the dialogue. However, Kosovo needs to make further efforts and contribute to the establishment of circumstances conducive to the full normalisation of relations with Serbia. As regards alignment with European standards, Kosovo is at an early stage. Legislative alignment has continued in some areas but implementation is weak. Some progress was made in the ...

... persons with disabilities, persons with HIV/AIDS and other socially vulnerable groups). A gender equality law needs to be adopted. Serbia overall remained constructively committed to bilateral relations with other enlargement countries and neighbouring EU Member States and an active participant in regional cooperation. Regarding the normalisation of relations with Kosovo, Serbia has remained engaged in the dialogue. However, Serbia needs to make further efforts and contribute to the establishment of circumstances conducive to the full normalisation of relations with Kosovo. Serbia continued to manage the effects of the migration and refugee crisis. Serbia is in the process of negotiating with ...

... Western Balkans and Turkey. Accession negotiations have been opened with candidate countries Montenegro (2012), Serbia (2014), Turkey (2005). The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia is a candidate country since 2005 and Albania obtained candidate status in 2014. Bosnia and Herzegovina (application to join the EU submitted in February 2016) and Kosovo (Stabilisation and Association Agreement entered into force in April 2016) are potential candidates. For detailed findings and recommendations on each country: Document: Key findings of the 2018 Report on Albania (Enlargement Package) Document: Key findings of the 2018 Report on Kosovo* (Enlargement Package) Document: Key findings of the 2018 Report ...

The workshop will be divided into two parts, depending on the status of smart specialisation development in the participating countries and economies: For Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo* and The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia it is an introduction to smart specialisation governance and guidance on creation national smart specialisation teams; For Serbia and Montenegro it is a training enabling entrepreneurial discovery process (EDP) coordinators and facilitators to prepare and organize it in accordance with the smart specialisation ...

This report is part of the the Berlin Process Series, an initiative started by Cooperation and Development Institute (CDI), in November 2015, in Tirana, and supported by Friedrich Ebert Foundation, Konrad Adenauer Foundation and Hanns Seidel Foundation. It has taken the following form: • Research on the Berlin process and its priority areas: Berlin process being a thinly documented process, CDI has contributed to create a body of knowledge, as well as to gather in one place major documents ...

... regional stakeholders from EU member states and South-east Europe countries, including the Western Balkans. Participants are likely to include: research and innovation policy-makers, scientists, businesses, regional authorities as well as representatives of academia and technology transfer offices. Up to 250 participants are expected. Selected participants from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, Serbia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, may request reimbursement of the travel and accommodation costs. Selection for reimbursement will be based on reason for submission, interest for participation, organisation, position in the organisation and appropriate geographical balance. *This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is ...

Western Balkan Countries Information Platform on Research Technology and Innovation is funded by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research. It builds upon the platform WBC-INCO.NET.

Kosovo* (This designation is without prejudice to positions on status and
is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ opinion on the Kosovo declaration
of independence.)